This was a super cottage surrounded by rolling countryside. Perfect for spending christmas with friends. Host Jasmin made us feel very welcome with a lovely basket of Christmas treats, nothing was too much trouble, very nice lady. The cottage was decorated for the season with a beautiful tree with fresh garlands and holly….The property itself was amazing, exceptionally clean, spacious, cosy and warm. Peace and quiet away from the hustle and bustle of life, plenty of walks etc. A perfect place to relax and unwind. Very long journey for us from Kent coast but certainly worth every mile we travelled. Would love to return when able. Probably the best cottage we have stayed in.

I have stayed in many cottages, but the Lightpipe was by far the nicest one I have stayed in. Spotlessly clean, and completely kitted out with anything that we would need. We were all completely relaxed from the moment we arrived. To the point where we actually overstayed our welcome and the owner turned up to prepare for the next guests and we had got our days mixed up, and were still in our pj's She was however, so polite about my mix up and we managed to get out and let her get ready for the next guests (a massive sorry from me).The welcome hamper was full of beautiful produce. The pictures on the page do not do the cottage justice I can not rate it highly enough. I am already looking at booking my next visit. It was the ideal rural location for anyone wishing to have a relaxed and peaceful break. The only negative I have is the wire on the fencing in the garden was not tall enough for my dogs and they stepped over it onto the track/road. If the wire was the height of the fence then it would be a completely enclosed dog proof area. It does not deserve to lose a star rating it is more a suggestion. I will definitely be back.

We were met on arrival by the owner, who was friendly and welcoming but not at all intrusive. There was a large welcome basket of dry foods including good tea and coffee, and more items in the fridge (milk, wine etc). The house was lovely and warm- the heating is set generously and guests can turn it on and off as they wish. Lightpipe is decorated beautifully, and soft furnishings were cosy and good quality. The kitchen was well kitted and had plenty of everything- certainly not the one fork, knife, plate and cup per guest that some cottages get by on. The garden was well fenced and safe for our dog, and he enjoyed watching all the pheasants in the mornings. There is no wifi but mobile internet is strong in the area (O2 network). It was the perfect rural location for us to go to our favourite spots in Northumberland and visit family in the Scottish Borders, and we're likely to return. The only suggestion for improvement would be for Rural Retreats to bring in the ability to pay balances online rather than having to ring the office.

The setting of Lightpipe in unspoilt countryside could not have been more delightful and the house itself was beautifully clean and high specification throughout. The only criticism we had is a small one - but important nonetheless. The sink in the en suite bathroom cleared extremely slowly and thus left soap deposits which regularly needed cleaning out. A soap dish would also have been appreciated! Other than that - perfect.

Lovely cottage in the middle of nowhere with beautiful views. 5 minute drive to the local village with a great shop and amazing gin selection!! The cottage was lovely inside with a huge garden all the way around the property great for a springer spaniel to run free. Jasmine was great, she left us a lovely hamper, kept to check everything was ok with us and we had everything we needed on the first night and even helped our Tesco delivery driver who got lost. Lovely place can’t wait to go back

This place is absolutely fantastic so beautifully done and exceptional quality throughout, it was really home from home with everything we could wish for. I’ve stayed in a fair few holiday cottages and this was by far the best equipped for almost every eventuality. We had the most breathtaking views of the Milky Way, due to the remoteness no light pollution so really spectacular. Local pub(collingwood arms) a 2 mile drive away was brilliant and gorgeous pies from the shop next door to the pub. Coldstream a short drive away and we visited beautiful holy island and also had a day in Edinburgh parking at Newcraighall station for 80p and a ten min train into city. Just Perfect. The dog enjoyed walking around the property and fields, you feel very secluded. WiFi would have been a bonus and I was apprehensive about signal because we were with a toddler (worried about emergencies etc) but actually all of us had 4g /3g so no issue. We struggled to find it in the dark despite Jasmine’s excellent directions and so did the Sainsbury’s delivery but I advise you to make your way to Collingwood arms and take the directions from there. for some reason sat nav let us down and we spent a good hour searching in the dark oops! Would love to return in summer and would highly recommend if you are looking for some peace and quiet in gorgeous surroundings. Welcome hamper and flowers were a lovely touch and we made use of the logs for the fire. All in all a glorious stay. Thank you Jasmin.